BAGUIO CITY, July 10 (PNA) — Two rapist fell to Cordillera policemen early this month as the regional police force escalated its operations against wanted persons.
In a press statement issued July 9, first to fall was Gilbert Papa dela Cruz who was arrested at about 9:30 a.m. of July 3 by elements of the Baguio City Police Office at the Pacdal Circle in Baguio.
Also known as “Balong”, dela Cruz, 38 years old, married, a laborer by profession and a resident of Purok 6, Lower Navy Base, Baguio, was arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Ivan Kim B. Morales of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 59.
The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Morales last April 7.
On July 6, the seventh wanted man in the region was nabbed by operatives of the Regional Intelligence Division, the Mt. Province Police Provincial Office, the Kalinga Police Provincial Office and the Regional Intelligence Unit of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-Cor).
Arrested in Sitio Gayang, Barangay Poblacion, Paracelis, Mt. Province was Joseph Bisonia Montealegre, 24, married, a farmer, who had a standing warrant for his arrest issued by Judge Marcelino Wakas of the RTC branch 3 of Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga for rape.
Meanwhile in Ifugao, the eighth wanted man in Aguinaldo, Ifugao town was arrested by members of the Aguinaldo Municipal Police Station last July 3 at about 9:30 a.m.
He was identified by Chief Supt. Isagani Nerez, PRO-Cor director, as Jerome Galaya Panawan, 31, married, a laborer and was arrested inside his residence at Barangay Bunhian, Aguinaldo for violating Presidential Decree 705, also known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines.
They are now in custody of the respective police units where they were nabbed, Nerez added.
He also lauded his men for their accomplishments which “only proved that no person is above the law and they should answer for the crimes they have committed and give justice to the family members and relatives of their victims.”
He added that these accomplishments were part of the PNP Patrol Plan 2030 to improve crime prevention and solution in order to attain the police vision of a safe place to live, work and do business in. (PNA)